Salary Cap Deep Dive: Dallas Stars
Navigating the Salary Cap is probably one of the more important tasks for any general manager to have. Teams that can avert total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful. Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.
PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation heading into the 2017-18 season. This will focus more on those players who are integral parts of the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL. All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.
Dallas Stars
Current Cap Hit: $75,196,355 (over the $75MM Upper Limit)
Entry-Level Contracts
F Devin Shore (One year remaining, $870K)
D Julius Honka (Two years remaining, $863K)
Potential Bonuses
Honka: $500K
Total: $500K
Despite a disappointing season a year ago, the Dallas Stars did have some young players who showed some promise. Shore was one of those players. A second-round pick in 2010, the 23-year-old had a decent first year with the Stars, scoring 13 goals and adding 20 assists and playing in all 82 contests. What Shore did not get much of was ice time, as he averaged just 14:08 on the ice. That may change this year as there are many who believe he could be a top-six forward right now. Honka is another player who got a little bit of time with the Stars last year. The 21-year-old defender, their first-round pick from 2014, has already fared well with the AHL’s Texas Stars. He scored seven goals and added 24 assists in 50 games with them and got 16 games with Dallas at the end of the year and picked up five points. He is a likely candidate to make the team this year.
One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level
G Kari Lehtonen ($5.9MM, UFA)
D Dan Hamhuis ($3.75MM, UFA)
F Antoine Roussel ($2MM, UFA)
D Jamie Oleksiak ($965K, RFA)
D Patrik Nemeth ($945K, RFA)
D Greg Pateryn ($800K, UFA)
D Stephen Johns ($725K, RFA)
F Curtis McKenzie ($700K, UFA)
F Brian Flynn ($700K, UFA)
F Mattias Janmark ($700K, RFA)
F Adam Cracknell ($675K, UFA)
That’s a long list, but the team really has few major worries about re-signing free agents next season. Lehtonen was a buyout candidate this offseason after the team had too many goaltenders. Instead, they held onto him to be their backup, but at $5.9MM, that’s an expensive backup who played 59 games and had a save percentage of .902. The team will rejoice at their salary cap savings next season. As for Hamhuis, the 34-year-old blueliner will need to have a big year if he wants another contract.
The 27-year-old Roussel is a different story. Everything depends on how he plays, but Dallas would like to see more offense than 12 goals from him to go with his 115 penalty minutes he picked up last year. The same holds true for Oleksiak, although he will be a restricted free agent, but the 24-year-old defenseman must show he can win a full-time job. He only managed 41 games last year. Johns, however, will likely be retained next year. He managed to get into 61 games last year and currently expected to make the team.
Defensive Logjam In Dallas Not Concerning
The Dallas Stars are in an enviable position, but one that might prompt a trade in the near future. After years of drafting heavily on defense, their prospect pool at the position is incredibly deep. Heading into training camp, at present, they will have at least 9 defensemen fighting for 7 roster spots. Theoretically, the could keep 8 on the roster for a time and keep only one spare forward, but ultimately, someone is going to lose out.
As of today, the team has Marc Methot, John Klingberg, Dan Hamhuis, Esa Lindell as their highest paid defenders. They also have Patrik Nemeth, Greg Pateryn, and Stephen Johns signed to NHL contracts, who are all over the age of 25 and would be waiver eligible if the team attempted to waive them for AHL use. There is also the still promising Jamie Oleksiak, an RFA who still needs to negotiate his contract. Finally, Julius Honka looks ready to take an NHL roster position after spot duty in Dallas last season. There are also more defensemen on the horizon, including the steal of a first-round pick of this season, Miro Heiskanen. Heiskaen is likely to return to his native Finland, but less talented players have forced teams to keep them on board. So, who makes the team? And will anyone be on the move?
Discounting the most expensive four, Nemeth and others should be concerned about being usurped. It seems that Honka has proven everything he can at the AHL level, and with his talent could end up outclassing everyone not named Klingberg or Methot with a good camp showing. Still, he can be moved down without needing to clear waivers. Oleksiak has shown real flashes as a former first-round shutdown player, but Pateryn and Nemeth both ended up playing a similar number of contests last season, and are second-rounders themselves. Despite limited action, their possession numbers were solid (49.9% and 51.3% respectively Corsi For) and there aren’t major faults in either players’ games. Oleksiak still has kinks to work out in his game, but his size (6’7) is probably just too tempting to move him at the tender age of 24. Johns played more games of any of the others, and brings a physicality that will likely endear him to new head coach Ken Hitchcock, despite his other shortcomings.
Ultimately, this is a camp that will be brutally competitive. The Stars won’t want to lose any of these players for nothing. Teams are always looking for youngish defenders on the cheap, and both Pateryn and Oleksiak would fit that bill nicely. Hamhuis would be tempting to move out, but he still eats a ton of minutes and provides veteran leadership to a young group. Lindell isn’t safe either, and moving his salary ($2.2) would be more helpful than unloading the cheap Pateryn or Johns. At the end of the day, it’s a wonderful problem to have, as depth at the position is always integral when players go down to injury. The Dallas Morning News’ Mike Heika is probably correct in his prediction that the organization will allow the situation to sort itself out on its own. Internal competition can be healthy, and by September many teams will be desperate to fill defensive holes on the cheap. Still, it will be a fascinating situation to watch develop.
Stars Sign Miro Heiskanen To Entry-Level Contract
The first top ten signing of the 2017 NHL Draft class is in the books, as the Dallas Stars have signed third overall pick Miro Heiskanen to his first pro contract. The team announced that the 17-year-old Finnish defenseman has signed on for the maximum entry-level deal of three years and $925K per.
An entry-level deal does not officially begin to toll until the player skate in 10 NHL games and Heiskanen’s deal does not necessarily imply that he is bound for the big leagues in 2017-18. However, the swiftness with which GM Jim Nill and the Stars got this deal done does seem to imply that the plan is to get Heiskanen started right away. The two-way puck-mover was considered one of the most pro-ready prospects in the draft and was always going to be given the chance to compete for a job in camp. With Heiskanen in town for the Stars’ development camp this week, it was the perfect time to get the deal done and show the youngster that they believe he can make a difference right away.
A quick look at the Dallas depth chart certainly shows an opportunity for Heiskanen to make the team and have a considerable role this season. There are many names with NHL experience on the Stars’ roster, but few that made much of an impact for the team that finished ahead of only the Colorado Avalanche in goals allowed in 2016-17. Defenseman John Klingberg is the leader of the blue line and an elite offensive defenseman, but he is a right-shot. Up-and-coming Julius Honka, a smaller, quicker clone of Klingberg, is also a right-shot. Stephen Johns, who played in the fourth-most games of any Stars defender, is also a right shot. Dallas is solid on the right side, but there are plenty of questions on the left, where Heiskanen plays. Recently-acquired Marc Methot is obviously a lock for the top pair. Esa Lindell had a strong rookie season and will surely play a major role for the Stars. Veteran Dan Hamhuis has a disappointing first season in Dallas; the veteran puck-mover skated in 79 games, recording just one goal, and was scratched for the other three. He’ll likely lose play time and take on a smaller role next season, but his contract would be hard to move, so Hamhuis will likely remain in Dallas nonetheless. That final spot on the left side could belong to Heiskanen. In a puzzling move, Nill traded Jordie Benn, Stars captain Jamie Benn‘s older brother, to the Montreal Canadiens at the trade deadline for another right-hander, Greg Pateryn, and a fourth-round pick, leaving a hole on the left side. Jamie Oleksiak and Patrik Nemeth, both high picks in recent years, are still relatively young at 24 and 25 respectively, but were unable to seize their opportunities last season, struggling to produce points and frequently making mistakes in their own end. With a good showing in camp, Heiskanen could be able to make a case that he is more ready for a starting role than Oleksiak, Nemeth, or the aging Hamhuis. It may cause a logjam on the blue line in Dallas and force a move, but having a 17-year-old push out under-performing veterans is a problem that Nill won’t mind having.
Esa Lindell Signs Two-Year Extension With Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars have found common ground with a defenseman, inking Esa Lindell to a two-year extension worth $4.4MM. The contract will pay him $2.2MM per season, a healthy raise from his entry-level contract. Lindell was a pending restricted free agent for the first time. 
The 23-year old Lindell was likely the Stars’ second-best defender as a rookie last year behind only John Klingberg, and will return to log big minutes once again. Though he didn’t bring quite the offensive flair he had shown in the minor leagues, his 18 points were still a solid number for such a young defenseman. He ranked second on the team in blocked shots, and saw the ice for almost 22 minutes a night for the disappointing Stars team. Though they’re looking to bring in a more veteran defenseman to take some of that responsibility, Lindell will continue to be relied upon in big situations.
Interestingly, Lindell rates extremely poorly in terms of possession statistics, helping generate shots at a terrible rate. While his suppression numbers are better, it will be interesting to see if he can start performing better offensively as he grows into his role. In the AHL, Lindell put up 42 points in 73 games as a rookie including 14 goals. His big shot and relatively crisp passing ability should lead to higher point totals, but he does still need work skating the puck out of his own zone at times. At 23 he has a few more years to develop into a better all-around player, but he’s already surpassed his third-round draft tag.
The Stars, with lots of cap space and a team that is expected to bounce back under the leadership of Ken Hitchcock, will be going after defensemen on the open market. Already they’ve been linked to Marc Methot from the Vegas Golden Knights, while the potentially could go after other left-handed defensemen like Karl Alzner or Brendan Smith. After clearing out some more room with an Antti Niemi buyout, they’ll be one of the more interesting teams to watch this summer.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Free Agent Focus: Dallas Stars
The free agent period is now less than a week away from opening up. Several prominent players are set to hit the open market and many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign. Here is a breakdown of the Dallas Stars’ free agent situation.
Key Restricted Free Agents: D Esa Lindell. The 23-year-old has only played one full year in the NHL, but has quickly established himself as a top-four blueliner and now already needs to get paid. While Dallas is looking into acquiring a top defenseman such as Washington’s Karl Alzner, Lindell is already inked into the lineup and the young defender should only get better with experience. His six goals and 12 assists may just be the beginning. His AAV of $925,000 should go up quite a bit.
F Radek Faksa. With the disappearance of several key veterans like Cody Eakin and Patrick Eaves, among others, there are numerous holes in the Stars’ lineup and locking up Faksa should be a top priority for the franchise. Faksa, the team’s first-round pick in 2012, completed his first full season with the Stars this year, finishing with 12 goals and 21 assists, while playing on the team’s third line. Making $1.34MM last year, Faksa should get a solid raise.
Other RFA’s: D Mattias Backman, D Nick Ebert, G Henri Kiviaho, G Maxime Lagace, F Mark McNeill, D Patrik Nemeth, D Jamie Oleksiak, F Brett Ritchie, F Gemel Smith.
Key Unrestricted Free Agents: F Patrick Sharp. The veteran winger is coming off an injury-plagued season in which he missed time due to a concussion and then had season-ending hip surgery in March. Because of that, Sharp, a four-time 30-goal scorer finished with eight goals and 10 assists in 48 games. While at 35 years old, no one is expecting a 30-goal season, Sharp could still be good for 15-20 goals. The Stars, needing to fill holes at the forward position, have shown interest in bringing him back. While it’s highly doubtful, he’d be able to get the $5.9MM contract he had last year, he still could receive a solid offer from a team needing a veteran scorer.
Ales Hemsky: The 33-year-old veteran is also coming off multiple injuries in which he missed more than four months of play due to hip and groin injuries. The veteran center only managed to get into 15 games for seven points. However, he had 13 goals and 39 points one year ago and could be worthy of bringing back on a short-term deal to fill a bottom line slot. While Hemsky made $4MM last year, he may need to take a low-level “prove it” offer.
Other UFA’s: F Jiri Hudler, G Justin Peters, D Dustin Stevenson.
Projected Cap Space: The Stars have $52.5MM invested in 15 players, so they will have to fill in multiple holes with the remaining $22.5MM in available cap space, although they have several restricted free agents they need to re-sign. However, assuming Dallas buys out goaltender Antti Niemi, the team should have even more room to work with. The Stars have high hopes to sign a top free agent such as Alzner to their defense. However, the team may also add some veterans on shorter-term deals to plug the holes for another year.